A funny thing happened in the city today

I took advantage of the slightly cooler weather today and caught a bus into town to pick up a library book that was waiting for me. I was standing at some traffic lights when the audible signal indicated it was safe to cross. Just as I gave Lucy, my guide dog, the signal to move forward, a lady stopped me with a question.

She sounded Asian and her english wasn’t good. She wanted to know where the shopping centre was, and a particular bank.

It’s not unusual for me to be stopped by tourists asking directions, but it always amuses me. I’m not sure why they think a blind person would know where to find shops, streets etc. I had to tell this lady that there were many shops in the city, and that I didn’t know where that bank was. Luckily, another man overheard and helped out, pointing out where the big shops and the bank she was looking for, which he could see across the road.

In saying that it surprises me that I get asked directional questions, in another way, it makes sense. I am pretty aware of where I am, the streets around me, and where particular shops are located. I have to know. I keep a mental map in my head all the time. On buses, I often answer passengers questions of the driver about where a certain street is. I even tell them I’ll let them know when they’re there, which astounds them!

So even though I had a bit of a giggle, it’s quite a sensible thing to ask a blind person for directions. 

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